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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23500639">Not as alone as you think</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusklatte/pseuds/Dusklatte'>Dusklatte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Relationship, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Cindered Shadows DLC Spoilers, Isolation, Loneliness, Lots of soft kisses!, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Golden Deer Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), death mentions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:41:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,705</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23500639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusklatte/pseuds/Dusklatte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Byleth had never particularly thought that she was ‘lonely'. She had constantly been surrounded by people – her father’s mercenary group, her students, her allies in war. It was only now, when the war had finished and she somehow ended up taking the position of leader of Fódlan, that she began to realise that though she had people around her, she had been lonely, and was growing lonelier still.</i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>My Unit | Byleth &amp; Seteth, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Lonely feeling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've decided to try and write something fluffy which is post-Golden Deer route that <i>isn't</i> based on a relationship between Byleth and Claude. I held a poll on Twitter with a choice between Seteth and Yuri for this fic, and Seteth narrowly won (by 1 vote!!!).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Byleth had never particularly thought that she was ‘lonely'. She had constantly been surrounded by people – her father’s mercenary group, her students, her allies in war. It was only now, when the war had finished and she somehow ended up taking the position of leader of Fódlan, that she began to realise that though she had people around her, she had been lonely, and was growing lonelier still.</p>
<p>Friends were still quite a new concept to her after so long barely feeling, and she knew that her former students could be counted amongst them. So could her former colleagues. She likely still wouldn’t understand the idea of being friends if it weren’t for Claude calling her as such on a frequent basis.</p>
<p>And now, Claude was absent. He was off in Almyra, having recently taken the throne there. They would still communicate by letter, but each time there was a longer wait than previously. He was busy, and she couldn’t vie for his attention all the time. Not when he had a country to lead.</p>
<p>She had watched as her friends disappeared, back to their homes and normal lives, to reunite with their other friends and family, and to rebuild from the war. Before she realised it, almost everyone was gone. She could count on one hand the people she was friends with that she could still speak to.</p>
<p>Her role was even more isolating. She was the one chosen to lead and rebuild Fódlan.</p>
<p>She was constantly having to read through and sign paperwork, or have meetings with former nobles who were desperate for attention and more power. Factoring that in, there was almost no time for her to even talk to her friends, as her only free time would be at night, when people were asleep.</p>
<p>It is during these dreadfully lonely nights that she would lose herself in thought. What would have happened if she had never awoken on that fateful day a year and a half ago? Her precious Golden Deer... They were capable, and no doubt they would have reclaimed Garreg Mach from the bandits... But it would have been upon the Empire’s ambush that many of them would have fallen.</p>
<p>Claude, shot from the skies by a stray arrow he hadn’t been expecting. Hilda, determined to protect her friends, took a blow meant to reach Marianne, whose shock and horror would leave her vulnerable. Ignatz, having taken hold of a ballista whilst Raphael held guard – the friends fell together, as they were swarmed to have the ballista stolen from them. Leonie realised upon witnessing everything that had happened that she too would not survive if she remained. Lorenz and Lysithea, holding the back lines using their magic to fight off those who remained... Their families’ loyalty to the Empire was enough to pardon them, only on the condition that they pledge themselves to the Emperor, despite the Emperor’s army being the ones who slaughtered their friends before their own eyes.</p>
<p>The thought caused Byleth so much pain, so much grief, that she would cry until she fell asleep on the terrace opposite her current quarters.</p>
<p>Despite her being out in the open air when that would happen, whenever she rose in the morning, she would find herself resting in her bed – still in the same clothes as the day before, but shed of any shoes and armour she previously had on. There would also be a tray beside her bed, on it all that she needed to have a cup of tea, and a small note from whoever left it there saying that they hoped that she slept well, and that the worries which put her to sleep remained at bay during the night.</p>
<p>Though she felt so painfully alone, this little act of kindness... It brought a smile to her face, at least for the time she would remain in her quarters for the morning.</p>
<p>One morning, however, she found a little something more on the note than well wishes – there was a question.</p>
<p>
  <em>I worry that you are both over-working and over-thinking. It saddens me when I return you to your room at night with the stains of tears down your face and markings on your palms from where your nails have dug deep. Are you in need of a few days to focus on yourself?</em>
</p>
<p>She had to take a moment to think about what was written, as… Well, if <em>somebody </em>had noticed that she was having trouble coping with her current situation, it will likely not be long until everyone in Garreg Mach notices that she was falling apart at the seams.</p>
<p>She knew that she would have to confide in <em>someone </em>soon, about how she felt and how much her isolation was taking a toll on her. She did have a few people she could talk to… But they often had days filled with their own work and hobbies. Seteth was dealing with similar work to her own – he often dealt with the more intricate tasks requiring a keen eye and an in-depth knowledge of politics in Fódlan. His spare time would be spent with Flayn, unsurprisingly. They were family, after all. Flayn did have more time available than Seteth, though she moved about the monastery so frequently doing so many things, it was hard to pinpoint her location. Then there was Yuri, in Abyss. She would attempt to go underground to meet him, but he would always be in the middle of something when she found him and he would say that he would be free later on, if she had the time… She was never free at those times.</p>
<p>But unfortunately, she couldn’t focus on that for too long. She couldn’t afford to spend her time sitting around and thinking. She had made a promise to her closest, yet most distant friend to rebuild Fódlan, so that they can later bring their countries together in a way that there would be no prejudices or barriers for the people.</p>
<p>One thing which did make Byleth feel quite distant was that she now resided in what was one Rhea’s quarters. They were… very high in the monastery. So far away from the dorm room which she once called her own, where she was surrounded by her former students in the nearby rooms. It was something which she became <em>very </em>aware of as she prepared her tea, based on how close the skies felt through the windows, and the wind blowing at curtains and other loose materials in the room.</p>
<p>She sighed when her tea was finally ready. It never felt right drinking it on her own, yet here she was. It surely should have been something she was used to by this point, after almost half a year with so few people around her, but that was not the case.</p>
<p>Just as she finished her drink, there was a light tap on her door. “Professor! Are you awake yet?” Byleth didn’t even have a chance to respond to the voice calling for her as the door opened, and a cheery looking Flayn stepped inside. “Ah good, you are! You have slept in late today – there was a lot of worry when you did not show up for breakfast… it is almost time for lunch!”</p>
<p>Byleth placed her cup down, and did her best to feign a smile in response. “Sorry. I haven’t been sleeping too well recently. I’ve barely just woken up…” She stood up, and rubbed her hand against her forehead. “If you give me a few minutes, I’ll get ready and eat something, then I’ll-“</p>
<p>“Do not fret, Professor. I have brought up some food from the dining hall, so you have sufficient time to prepare for the day without having to go there. My brother has said that he can handle things for now, but will need you in his office soon.”</p>
<p>She was unsure as to whether the little bit of extra time was a good thing or not, but was relieved that she wouldn’t have to run around like a headless wyvern as she pulled herself together. “Thank you, Flayn…”</p>
<p>Once Flayn had given her the food, and disappeared just as quickly as she arrived, Byleth’s shoulders fell. Normally she would have enjoyed eating, but… she just didn’t have an appetite right now. She couldn’t let the food go to waste though, she had a long day of work ahead of her…</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was about midday when Byleth finally arrived at Seteth’s office. She had tried to wash and get changed as quickly as she could, but her mind kept returning to what was said on the note she had been given.</p>
<p>
  <em>I worry that you are both over-working and over-thinking.</em>
</p>
<p>She didn’t like how… perceptive it was. It would clearly have to be somebody close to her to have figured that out. She tried to think as to who it could have been, but her mind drew a blank. It played on her mind the entire time she looked through the different documents which she needed to either acknowledge or approve.</p>
<p>After a while, Seteth began to notice that Byleth was growing distracted with their work. He could see her eyes straying away from the sheets of paper, and the way in which the pen between her fingers would waver as she loosened her grip. He knew that something was definitely on her mind when her arm bumped into a pot of ink, spilling its contents all over the desk, the paperwork, and both of their clothes.</p>
<p>It took her a brief moment to realise what she had done, and her eyes widened in horror. The ink had covered everything which they had looked over in the past hour. “Oh no… Seteth, I’m so sorry-!”</p>
<p>“Don’t be sorry, it was an accident. I will deal with this,” Seteth began, getting up and walking over to Byleth to assess the extent of the spillage. “You should go and wash off the ink and get into some clean clothes. I will do the same and clean up the desk. Come back here afterwards. Don’t worry about any of this, it is only ink.”</p>
<p>Byleth frowned, before nodding and making her way over to the door. Seteth folded his arms as he heard her footsteps get quieter and quieter, until finally, there was silence. Before he could do anything else, somebody else appeared in the doorway.</p>
<p>“Father? I just saw the Professor walk down the hallway covered in ink… Do you know what has-!” Flayn paused when she saw the state of Seteth and his desk. “Oh my! What happened here?!”</p>
<p>“I will explain later… I need to wash off this ink before it stains,” he muttered, followed by shaking his head and running his hand through his hair. “It is exactly as I feared though, Flayn. She is not in the best state at present. I believe we are pushing her into her new role too quickly.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Byleth had to admit, she did feel a bit more refreshed and relaxed after she had a bath to wash off the ink which had managed to get on her arm and seep through her clothes. She put that down to the fact that it was her first proper break from working in weeks. She wished she could have breaks like that more often, but she knew that it would likely be a bit of a stretch.</p>
<p>As she returned to Seteth’s office, she realised that her hair was still tied up in the bun she had put it in to stop it from getting wet as she bathed. She then paused when she next went past a window and glanced at her reflection, with the intention of seeing whether it made her look like a mess or not. Rather than her hair, she noticed that she looked much less drained than she had done recently.</p>
<p>
  <em>Perhaps it was a good thing that she accidentally spilled that ink.</em>
</p>
<p>After staring at her reflection for a good minute or so, she continued making her way to Seteth’s office. When she reached the door, a faint smell began to reach her. One which brought her a great sense of… comfort. And it was coming from the office.</p>
<p>She pushed open the door, and let out a small sigh when she noticed that all of the mess had been cleaned up. If anything, the desk looked newer than ever. She had to admit, if there was one word to describe Seteth, it was meticulous.</p>
<p>“Ah, you are back. Good – I hope you are not worrying about the incident earlier, as it has been dealt with,” Seteth stated from his seat at the desk, before sending a smile in her direction. “And fortunately, I keep multiple copies of documents for record-keeping purposes, so most of what was lost has been restored. The only thing which needs to be done is your signature added to the relevant pieces of paperwork, then I believe that we should leave it at that for today.”</p>
<p>Byleth raised her eyebrow at the fact that Seteth had changed his mind over the amount of work they were going to be doing, as she could recall him talking about there being quite a lot more to get through a mere few minutes before she knocked the ink over. She pushed that to the back of her mind as she approached the desk, and returned to the seat she had been sat in earlier.</p>
<p>“Oh, and please help yourself to some tea.” He gestured his hand over to the pot of tea and cups which were set out, before standing up to retrieve a small stack of paperwork from on top of a nearby chest of drawers.</p>
<p>Silently, Byleth poured herself a cup of the tea, and realised that tea was responsible for the scent she picked up just outside the room. Once she had taken a small sip of it, she then realised that it was… oddly familiar. It wasn’t the first time she had a drink of this tea that day.</p>
<p>
  <em>Could Seteth have been the one who had…? No, he was often working late into the night, it couldn’t be possible. The monastery may just have a lot of that tea stockpiled.</em>
</p>
<p>When she put her cup down, she reached out for the bundle of documents, and did her best to rack her brains on what it was about. Seteth noticed her trying to think about it, so he decided to input his own thoughts to see if that would remind her.</p>
<p>“The work that Miss von Nuvelle is doing with regard to restoring her house is quite remarkable, is it not?”</p>
<p>“Ah, that’s it…” Byleth quickly muttered, before flicking forward a few pages. “Yes, I remember this… Constance is requesting funding towards some of her research. What she’s doing sounds amazing.”</p>
<p>The back and forth of Seteth prompting Byleth to remember the previous work, and Byleth doing one of signing, approving, or disapproving the documents continued for a further thirty minutes, or alternatively another two cups of tea each. When the final document had Byleth’s signature, Seteth promptly sealed the new pot of ink, and gathered together all of the paperwork for filing.</p>
<p>Byleth let out a loud sigh, and very quickly slouched back onto the chair. She was quite relieved that all of the catching up was completed, and for the first time in days, her work for the day was finished <em>before </em>the sun had set. Seteth simply raised his eyebrow at her current behaviour, but he couldn’t exactly blame her.</p>
<p>“Before you go, could we possibly have a talk, Byleth?”</p>
<p>Straight away, he had her attention – he would always use titles to talk to her, such as ‘Professor’ or ‘Your Majesty’, but never her name. She then realised that he was acting a bit more… casual than usual. Aside from his use of her name, he hadn’t changed into one of his other usual outfits post-ink incident, and was instead wearing a simple shirt – <em>with the top button undone – </em>and trousers. “Sure… As long as you aren’t planning on lecturing me for making that mess with the ink.”</p>
<p>“I already told you, it was an accident. You aren’t to blame, and all the damage caused has been rectified,” he began, before sitting down and looking directly at her as she straightened her back. “What I want to talk to you about is your workload. I worry that I have been pressuring you into doing too much far too soon. You are not Rhea, who had been in a position of power for as long as she could remember. You were not expecting to lead Fódlan… You were expecting Claude to take on that role, but he left for Almyra.”</p>
<p>Byleth’s eyes widened at Seteth’s words, before a frown formed on her face as her gaze fell downwards.</p>
<p>“I just want to say… If you feel that I am putting too much on your plate, please say so. This work is not completely urgent, and can be staggered out over the next few weeks. Nobody wishes to see you burn yourself out. That is all,” he stated, before gathering together the used cups. “Now… Would you care to join Flayn and myself in the dining hall? One of Flayn’s favourite dishes is on the menu today, and she was eager to eat with us both.”</p>
<p>She was silent for a moment, before nodding. “Okay. I could do with some food.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>After the meal she shared with Seteth and Flayn, Byleth realised that it was dark outside. The time where she normally felt loneliest…</p>
<p>As usual, she decided to go out onto the terrace opposite her room. Even if she hadn’t decided to go there, it was so cemented as a part of her current routine, she likely would have ended up there anyway. Instead of sitting down against the wall though, she decided instead to lean against it, and gaze up at the sky.</p>
<p>What she noticed was that the stars were very clear above her. Rather than her usual thoughts which end with Claude being shot from the sky, she instead began to wonder as to whether he too was looking at the stars in Almyra. He always seemed to have a fascination with them, after all.</p>
<p>From there, her thoughts took a slightly different turn to usual. She believed it may have been down to having company as she ate that evening, as they seemed to focus on Seteth and Flayn. About how happy they were when in each other’s company. About how no matter what the situation they were in, they would be there for each other.</p>
<p>She hoped that even though he had been gone from this world for over six years, Jeralt was still watching over her. Her mother too, for that matter… She hoped that she was making them both proud. For the first time in weeks, she began to slowly fall asleep with those happy thoughts at the forefront of her mind.</p>
<p>Just as she began to drift off though, she heard footsteps nearby, which stopped when she realised that whoever this was happened to be stood beside her.</p>
<p>“Asleep out here again… I sincerely hope that she doesn’t catch a chill…”</p>
<p>She knew that voice. She definitely knew who was stood there… But she was a bit too tired to pinpoint who it was. All that she knew… Was that they had now had an arm under her knees and behind her back as she was lifted up from the ground.</p>
<p>The warmth of the person was quite comfortable as they kept a firm grasp of her, even as she heard the door to her room creak open. Eventually, she felt herself be placed on her bed, her shoes be removed, and the blankets pulled over her body.</p>
<p>It was at this point that she opened her eyes slightly.</p>
<p>“Seteth…?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Discussion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>“I assume what you want to talk about is...”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“What happened last night.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“As I expected."</i>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Byleth woke up the next morning, she was surprised to notice that despite what had occurred the night before, the usual routine had still happened. There was a tray with all that was needed to make a drink of tea, and a note. Despite that, there was one notable change – namely that the note left behind was not one expressing concern over her, but instead a hastily written question - ‘<em>Could we talk about what happened?’</em></p>
<p>As she prepared the tea, she couldn’t help but fret over the events which had occurred. The main thing which was bothering her was Seteth’s reactions…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Seteth?” Byleth propped herself up slightly, before giving off a small yawn. “You’re the one who has been doing this?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“B- Byleth! You’re- You’re awake?!” Seteth took a panicked step back, his eyes wide in surprise – it was clear that he was certain she had been asleep. “I believed that you were…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She sat up, and gave him a small smile. “I was drifting off when you saw me outside. I didn’t realise it was you until just now...” She then grabbed hold of his hand just before he stepped out of her reach, and pulled him a slight bit closer. “I was wondering who was returning me to my bed when I fell asleep outside. Thank you…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Seteth glanced away, but didn’t pull his hand back. “You looked drained whenever you were outside, and I could see that you were being greatly affected by something… I had to at least make sure that you were comfortable, and not putting yourself in danger. That falls within my duties, after all…” He hesitated, then shook his head. “You shouldn’t be thanking me, and… I should really be leaving now. As much as I would like to stay to make sure that you are well, it would be inappropriate for me to be seen leaving your rooms at this late hour…” Seteth continued not to make eye contact, and instead began to look towards the door. “That… That does mean that you need to release my hand, Byleth…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“O- Oh, um… sorry…” In a panic, she quickly pulled her hands back, and ran them down her face as she groaned. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Good… Goodnight, Byleth…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Night…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>She couldn’t have imagined a situation more <em>awkward </em>to have happened in terms of finding out who had been returning her to her room at night, especially given that she had the option to not call out his name after she realised it was him. Despite that, she also felt relief – it hadn’t been a stranger who had been doing that for her. Seteth had been going out of his way to make sure that she was safe, comfortable, and starting her days off well.</p>
<p>It didn’t take her long to finish her tea that morning, which was when she realised that unlike the day before, she had woke up during the early morning – the sun looked as though it had risen no less than an hour ago. That meant that she had a bit of spare time before she would need to get to work… before she would inevitably see Seteth to find out her tasks for the day…</p>
<p>She decided that she would first eat, then spend some time at the training grounds.</p>
<p>After she managed to refresh herself and get changed into clean clothes, she made her way down to the dining hall to return the teapot and the cup, before getting herself something to eat. She decided that she was in the mood for something substantial for her breakfast, and helped herself to some of everything available.</p>
<p>About ten minutes after she sat down to eat, she noticed Flayn enter the dining hall with a furrowed brow. She found it strange to see her appear concerned rather than cheerful and positive, so after she had gotten her own food, she waved her over.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Professor- Oh! I mean Byleth…” Flayn sat down opposite her, before she gave off a small sigh. “It is nice to see somebody not acting evasive this morning.”</p>
<p>Byleth brought a strawberry up to her mouth as she raised an eyebrow. “Evasive? Who?”</p>
<p>Flayn took a quick glance around, and upon deciding that there was enough secrecy where they were, she pursed her lips together. “My father. We always speak in the morning, and I always ask how well he slept, and whether he would like to eat together…” Her eyes fell towards the empty seat beside her. “He simply brushed me off with my first question, even though it was clear that he barely slept last night… And based upon the empty seat, I have the answer to my second…”</p>
<p>Straight away, Byleth felt a slight pang of guilt – she had a feeling that what had occurred in her room may have been the reason behind Seteth’s behaviour which was bothering Flayn. It was then that she decided that she wasn’t going to use her spare time to train, but would instead do as the note left behind for her said - talk about what had happened.</p>
<p>“I could see if he is okay after I have eaten if you wish, Flayn. I need to speak with him about something anyway, but if it would give you some peace of mind…”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened, before she gave her a gentle smile. “Perhaps talking to you would be for the best. He always seems happier after having spoken to you as of late, so I am certain that he would be willing to speak to you, if not me.”</p>
<p>After the pair had finished eating, they went about their separate ways for the day. Flayn had sounded awfully excited about her coming day, as she was going to be spending a good few hours fishing and tending to plants in the greenhouse – a perfect day to relax and wind down.</p>
<p>Byleth knew that Seteth was likely to be holed up in his office by this point, given that he hadn’t appeared to eat at any point. Before she made her way there to talk to him, she picked up something for him to eat and drink. She couldn’t help but think of the parallels with the day before, after Flayn had brought food up for her.</p>
<p>When she reached his office, she noticed that the door was open ever so slightly. She nudged it ever so slightly, before pursing her lips together. Seteth was indeed in there, doing paperwork as usual. What concerned her most was that he was repeatedly running his hand through his hair, and kept stifling a yawn with his other hand.</p>
<p>She took a quiet step inside, though the slight creak of the door was enough to get his attention. He placed his pen down, before raising his eyebrow slightly. “Sorry if I’m disturbing you, but… could we talk for a moment?”</p>
<p>“… If you insist. Just… please shut the door behind you,” he muttered, leaning back against his chair.</p>
<p>Byleth nodded as she stepped inside, and used her foot to close the door. She then walked over to his desk, and placed what she had brought down. “Flayn was worried about you, and you never turned up to eat. I’ve brought you some of the leftover food from downstairs, though it is only some toast… I also brought up some tea. The four-spice blend… that’s one of your favourites, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>A very faint smile crept onto his face. “Thank you, Byleth,” he said quietly, before sitting up straight and looking at her as she sat down as he reached out for a slice of the toast. “I assume what you want to talk about is...”</p>
<p>“What happened last night.”</p>
<p>“As I expected,” Seteth began, before taking a deep breath. “There were no bad intentions in what I was doing-"</p>
<p>“And I didn’t believe that there was. “For some reason, her heart was racing. She hadn’t told anyone about the fear, the isolation she had been feeling over recent weeks, but after what had happened... she knew that she needed to tell Seteth. “I... I actually really appreciated what you did last night. And all those nights before...”</p>
<p>Seteth silently finished eating, and folded his arms over. “I don’t quite understand what you are getting at. How did you appreciate it, as for all I am aware of, I was simply returning you to your room as you kept falling asleep outside, and that there could be... implications if you remained there.”</p>
<p>“I appreciated it every time you brought me back to my room because...” She took a deep breath, before burning her head in her hands. “I feel so <em>lonely! </em>My Golden Deer have all returned to their homes... The closest I have to a family is you and Flayn, but I rarely see either of you outside of working. But waking up in the morning, seeing the note asking how I was feeling, knowing that somebody had taken their time to make sure I was safe...? I didn’t feel so lonely...”</p>
<p>“You were feeling...? Byleth, if you were feeling like that, you should have just come to talk to me,” he began, before making his way around his desk and pulling a chair across to sit beside her. “I could tell that something was on your mind, but I assumed that you were feeling burdened with your workload…” He then took hold of her hand when he realised that there were tears pouring down her face. It was the first time he had ever seen her cry in the few years he had known her. “Whether I am busy or not, I can always make time for you. <em>Always.</em>”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Remain by your side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>“You've done nothing wrong, there is nothing for you to apologise for...”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“You're wrong, Byleth... I should have noticed that you were feeling this way..."</i>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You don’t have to be alone any more… I won’t let you feel alone, nor do I want you to feel alone ever again,” Seteth muttered, holding Byleth close to him as she let out her tears. “I care for you deeply, and knowing that you were feeling like that… I can barely forgive myself.”</p>
<p>His words and his touch brought her comfort. Something that she hadn’t felt in years – since her father left her, to be specific.</p>
<p>Eventually, words came to Byleth as she closed her eyes and began to relax against him. “You've done nothing wrong, there is nothing for you to apologise for...”</p>
<p>“You're wrong, Byleth... I should have noticed that you were feeling this way... There were so many opportunities in which I could have spoken to you, asked how you were feeling, found out if you wanted company... Those nights where you would cry yourself to sleep on the terrace could have been avoided if I had just-!”</p>
<p>“Seteth!” Byleth pulled herself away from him, but kept her hands against his chest as she gave him a pleading look. “Please don’t punish yourself for something you were unaware of. It... It hurts seeing you do that to yourself.” The two looked at each other in silence for a few moments, before Byleth spoke again. “Even if you didn’t know that I felt lonely... All that you've done for me for when I woke up in the mornings has helped me feel less alone. You helped. A lot. I’ve actually kept all of those notes that you left and look through them when the isolation feels like too much, and now knowing that they were from you they mean so much more to me.”</p>
<p>“Byleth...” Seteth sighed and finally, a smile came onto his face. “That means a lot to me too. Aside from Flayn, you are one of the most important people in my life, and I hold you close to my heart,” he said, taking hold of her hands and gently squeezing them. “Say... do you remember what I said to you as you struggled after Claude left, when you were trying to adjust into your new role as Queen of Fódlan?”</p>
<p>“No... I can’t say that I do. So much was happening then, I can’t really remember that much.”</p>
<p>“I was talking about work which needed to be done at that moment of time, but I said that I would remain by your side no matter what. I would like to amend that statement...” He then looked into her eyes, and gave her a reassuring smile. “I would like to remain by your side no matter what, be it to do with leading Fódlan, or our lives outside of work. I... wish to stay by your side as more than an advisor. That way... you will not have to feel lonely again, and...” His voice trailed off, words struggling to come to him.</p>
<p>Byleth believed that she understood what he was trying to say, however. “Seteth... Are you saying that you want to... be with me?”</p>
<p>Seteth closed his eyes, but nodded. “Yes... I suppose that is the best way to word it.”</p>
<p>The two were in silence after that, neither one knowing quite what to say. Instead, Byleth reached out for the tea she had brought with her, and poured them both a cup. He broke the silence as he thanked her, but it resumed afterwards, even as they drank.</p>
<p>It wasn’t to say that the quiet was awkward, however. It was pleasant. They kept smiling to each other between sips of their drinks.</p>
<p>Once they both finished, Byleth stood up and took a deep breath, and held out her hands to pull him up to his feet too. She then looked up at him, and rested her hand against his cheek, fingers running gently across his skin. He brought his hand up to hers, and smiled.</p>
<p>Moments later, she leaned in and pressed a small, tentative kiss to his lips. As he rested his other hand on her hip and pulled her closer, they shared another kiss.</p>
<p>When they eventually parted, Byleth quietly laughed. “I think that I should consider myself lucky, having just kissed the legendary Saint Cichol...”</p>
<p>“As should I, for the first Queen of Fódlan.”</p>
<p>They remained stood where they were, until Byleth eventually leaned against him in an embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head.</p>
<p>Eventually, Byleth spoke once more. “Do... Do we tell Flayn of this?”</p>
<p>“... No. At least not yet. We should probably arrange a few things first, and see how things go for a few weeks. Then... perhaps we should tell her over a meal together.”</p>
<p>Byleth nodded, before she stepped back and took a deep breath. “Well, um... I should get going. I need to take all of the things I brought with me back to the dining hall, then I need to speak with Flayn, as she was quite worried about you this morning. Oh... And please take a break today. I heard that you barely slept last night.”</p>
<p>“I will try my best,” he stated, sounding a bit hesitant. “Should we... meet again, later?”</p>
<p>“Sure. How about on the terrace by my room after dinner this evening?”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Byleth felt sad as she stood on the terrace, holding onto a piece of paper. Earlier that day, in the middle of her work, a letter had been placed at her desk. It had the seal of the Almyran king. She had been quick to open it, knowing that it had been ages since she had received a letter from Claude. She had hoped that it bore news of his return to Fódlan, but... it wasn’t quite what she was expecting.</p>
<p> </p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Hey, Teach. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>I'm sorry I haven’t been able to write lately - I've been having to deal with an unhappy crowd who have taken me holding the role of king as a personal offence. They don’t like the thought of anyone having blood from Fódlan on the throne. I’ve been having to deal with that most of the time to the point that I can barely rest, let alone write a letter.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>How are things doing in Fódlan, by the way? Hopefully better than in Almyra. I would come to see how things are, and help out if you needed it, but there is a lot more that needs doing in Almyra than I expected. I’ll come as soon as I can, but that may still be a few moons away.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>I hope that you are also feeling well. It’s a lonely thing, taking on a leadership position like king or queen. At least that’s my experience of it here, anyway. Seteth and Flayn had better be keeping you company! I actually miss having Seteth nag at me over something or another. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Say hello to the others for me, and write back when you can!</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Claude</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  
</p>
<p>She felt quite down in the dumps after reading the letter. She would have to wait longer than expected to see him again, which in turn meant that it would also likely be a while before she could meet the other Golden Deer, as they were only really likely to return if a class reunion was organised, or there was some sort of celebration. She’d likely see one or two on occasion, but not all of them at one time…</p>
<p>As she let out a sigh, there was the sound of footsteps behind her.</p>
<p>“That was quite the sigh, Your Majesty. Care to tell me what the matter is?”</p>
<p>“There’s no need to use my title with me, Seteth… You don’t hear me calling you by <em>that </em>title of yours, do you?” Byleth sighed, before turning around to face him, and seeing a frown on his face. “Sorry if I sounded agitated then, it wasn’t intentional. I just… I finally got a letter back from Claude, saying that it is going to be quite a while until we get to meet again… He’s my closest friend, so it’s a rather upsetting to think about…”</p>
<p>Seteth nodded, before he approached her and gave her a gentle hug. “I also received a letter from Claude today. He asked that I made sure that you weren’t under too much pressure with your current role, and that Flayn and I remain by your side,” he muttered into her hair, before chuckling. “Whether he asked that of me or not, I would have done that anyway. I will remain by your side, always…”</p>
<p>“You truly mean that…?”</p>
<p>“Indeed.”</p>
<p>Byleth smiled as she lightly pushed him back before she closed her eyes and took a firm grasp of his hands. “Then… may I make one small, selfish request…?”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that would depend on just <em>how </em>selfish the request is.”</p>
<p>“Could… Could you stay with me tonight? No more than staying in the same room. I just… I would appreciate the company.”</p>
<p>Seteth nodded as she finally opened her eyes again. “I can oblige that,” he stated, before finding her arms wrapping around his neck as she softly kissed his cheek.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Seteth…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Change in dynamics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For the second day in a row, Seteth does not follow his usual morning routine. Flayn investigates, and discovers something she had been waiting for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Flayn sighed. As she had told Byleth the day before, her morning routine consisted of waking up, finding her father, and asking how he was before joining him for breakfast. It is what they had done for as long as she could remember.</p><p>This had been the second day in a row in which Seteth hadn’t followed it. However, this was the first day in which he simply just <em>didn’t </em>emerge from his quarters. It had worried her greatly that something may have happened, but she decided to remain calm, and seek him out instead.</p><p>She had asked knights situated around the monastery if they had seen him, to no avail. She looked around the Cathedral, the dining hall, the marketplace, the stables, and even the fishing pond, all of his usual haunts, to see if he was there unsuccessfully.</p><p>Eventually though, she got a lead as she made her way into his office using the spare keys which he kept in his room. There was a letter on his desk, and she knew the handwriting – it had been from Claude.</p><p>
  <em>He couldn’t have gone towards the border with Almyra without telling anyone, could he?</em>
</p><p>Out of curiosity and worry, she read it to make sure that such a thing hadn’t occurred. She let out a small sigh when she realised that it was simply asking that the two of them looked after Byleth.</p><p>That was when an idea came to head. Perhaps he had been with Byleth! She would normally still be in her rooms by this point, so it could very well have been the case.</p><p>She locked up his office behind her as she began to make her way up to Byleth’s room – which still sounded strange to her, as until Rhea retired to Zanado, it had been her room.</p><p>She knocked on the door lightly, but had been met with silence. Fortunately, the door was unlocked, so she gently pushed against it to peer inside.</p><p>Relief flooded through her when she saw her father, though that was quickly replaced with confusion when she realised that both he and Byleth were asleep on her bed, him holding onto her as they slept.</p><p>“Oh my...” she whispered, before sighing. She then stepped back out of the room, closed it behind her, before running out onto the terrace and shouting out. “Finally!”</p><p>Even before the war in Fódlan had ended, she had seen the ways in which the two would act with one another. She had known her father long enough to know the subtle hints that he was in love, and he had shown each of them with regard to Byleth. Conversations with him would mention her repeatedly. He worried for her greatly. His face would lightly flush when he did things with her. He was completely in love with her, and she... she was glad that he had found somebody to be with. He hadn’t been the same since her mother passed away, but she had always longed that he would find somebody who made him as happy as her mother made him.</p><p>That somebody happened to be Byleth.</p><p> </p>
<hr/>
<hr/><p> </p><p>As Byleth woke up, she found herself surrounded by warmth. She felt safe, calm, and no longer alone. It was strange how nothing more than a pair of arms could do such a thing...</p><p>When she stirred, she felt Seteth’s arms tighten around her, pulling her close enough to him that her head was against his chest. She could feel the light rise and fall of his chest, and the warmth from his body.</p><p>If this were to be a frequent thing whilst she was with Seteth... she wouldn’t mind this at all.</p><p>However... they couldn’t remain like this forever. She could see sunlight beginning to break through the windows, which meant that it was a new day, which brought about new duties. Today was set to be discussions regarding the capital of Fódlan, which was not something that could be slept through.</p><p>“Seteth...?” she gave him a gentle nudge as she called out his name to get his attention. “Seteth, we need to wake up now...”</p><p>He stirred only slightly, his grasp of her growing tighter as he stubbornly refused to awaken from his sleep. Byleth sighed then rolled her eyes as she had to use her last resort to find a way to leave her own bed. She moved one of her hands to run her fingers through his hair, and pressed a kiss to his lips in the process.</p><p>“<em>Cichol... </em>Wake up,” she whispered against his lips, the use of his saintly name being enough to rouse him from his deep sleep. “Finally... You’re awake. We have to wake up, Seteth, we have a busy day... We likely have enough time for breakfast and tea, but then we have politics to discuss...”</p><p>His eyes were barely open as she spoke to him, but he slowly nodded in acknowledgement.</p><p>“You wake yourself up, and I will get us food and drink,” she smiled, finally able to pry herself free from his grasp.</p><p>When Byleth got out of her bed, she went over to her closet and changed her clothes quickly – making an appearance at the dining hall wearing her nightwear would result in far too much unnecessary drama. For that day, she settled on wearing something comfortable – her usual shirt, and a dark skirt instead of her typical shorts and lace tights. Her boots were substituted for a simple pair of slip on shoes. Today was going to be stressful – she would prefer that her clothes were not.</p><p>She waved bye to Seteth when he finally sat upward as she walked over to the door, then silently left the room, and closed the door behind her.</p><p>And found herself face to face with Flayn.</p><p>“Good morning, Byleth. I was just on my way to talk to you, so it is lucky that you have emerged now,” she smiled. Byleth watched her for a moment, hoping that she hadn’t noticed that her father was in her room in the few seconds in which the door had been open.</p><p>“Well, I was about to go and get something to eat and drink from the dining hall before bringing it back up here, so how about we walk and talk?”</p><p>“That sounds lovely, I shall do just that!” Flayn had a wide smile on her face as they walked towards the stairs. “Well, first things first, it is summer now. It is one of my favourite times of year, as everything is so warm and the nature around us is so bright and colourful… I have been longing to visit some nearby villages to find some flowers which we are not growing in the greenhouse… Would you care to join me tomorrow as I seek these flowers out?”</p><p>Byleth raised her eyebrow in curiosity. “I am sure that I can free up some time to join you,” she said, before asking a question which had sprung to her mind. “What flowers are you talking about?”</p><p>“White roses. We are growing red ones in the greenhouse, but not white.”</p><p>“Oh, white roses are lovely…” Byleth mused, her mind getting slightly side-tracked. Her father had told her the lore behind the naming of each moon in Fódlan’s calendar not long after they had arrived at Garreg Mach, as it was only then that she began to wonder what each of the names meant. It was currently the Garland Moon… The moon where women would give white roses to friends and lovers…</p><p>
  <em>Was Flayn intending to give them to someone?</em>
</p><p> By the point that they had found themselves on the ground floor of the monastery, Flayn then took a few quick paces ahead of Byleth, and turned to look at her with a particular… intensity on her face. “I have another question, Byleth… Since when were you and my father a couple?”</p><p>She tensed up as Flayn continued to stare at her. <em>How did she know that? They had been together for less than a single day!</em></p><p>Then it clicked. Flayn had not arrived just as she had left the room… No, Flayn would have been looking for Seteth, and went to her room in her search and saw them both in her bed.</p><p>“Yesterday… Since, um… yesterday,” Byleth eventually responded, her voice quiet as a small group of knights walked past them both. “We were going to see how things worked for a few weeks, before telling anyone…”</p><p>Flayn nodded, before a smile returned to her face. She then went over to Byleth, and took hold of her hands. “I am happy for you both, truly I am. I have seen the look of longing in my father’s eyes for many moons now, and it is a look he has not given anyone since my mother. He holds you dear to his heart, Byleth,” she explained, before closing her eyes. “I know that this may sound far-fetched at this moment, but I truly would delight in having you as my step-mother. First and foremost, however, I appreciate that you are there for my father.”</p><p>Byleth couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing Flayn say, nor could she understand why she found herself tearing up.</p><p>It was only when she heard Flayn ask if she were okay that she figured out what had gotten her so emotional over those few words.</p><p>
  <em>Being with Seteth… meant that she had a family again. An actual family, not the informal sort of ‘family’ that her and her former Golden Deer students were. And hearing Flayn say that she would like to have her as family too… That was what made her realise that she was no longer alone.</em>
</p><p>“Byleth, I did not mean to upset you with my words-!”</p><p>Quietly, Byleth pulled Flayn into an embrace. “Thank you…”</p><p> </p>
<hr/>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Seteth was starting to wonder what was taking Byleth so long once he had managed to straighten himself out and pull himself out of his half-asleep daze. It should surely not take any longer than ten to fifteen minutes to go to the dining hall and return with food and tea for two. He decided to wait for a few minutes before going out to search for her though, knowing that perhaps she was looking for some tea, or somebody may have struck a conversation with her.</p><p>After another few minutes, he felt relieved as the door opened, and Byleth stepped inside. What he was not expecting… was Flayn to be accompanying her.</p><p>“I hope that you do not mind Flayn joining us… She, ah… Has already figured us out. The door was never locked last night…” Byleth explained, a slight flush on her face. “So much for testing the waters for a few weeks before telling her…”</p><p>He took a deep breath, and sighed. “Well, if she already knows, there is no harm in extra company,” he said, running a hand through his hair as he turned away to hide the embarrassment and to not focus on the triumphant grin on his daughter’s face.</p><p>The three ended up sitting on Byleth’s bed, partaking in the small variety of sweet pastries which had been gathered from the dining hall whilst waiting for the tea to reach an appropriate temperature to drink. Their talk was small, surrounding topics such as how warm the temperatures currently were, and how it was believed that soon there would be rain on an almost daily basis.</p><p>Eventually, Seteth found himself no longer able to avoid the topic which was on each of their minds.</p><p>“I believe that we should have a discussion… about the three of us. If Byleth and I are to pursue our relationship further, then there shall obviously be a change in dynamics,” he began, looking between both Byleth and Flayn. Byleth slightly nodded, and Flayn made a noise of agreement. “Flayn… I just want to say in advance that I have no intention of seeing Byleth as a… replacement for your mother.”</p><p>Flayn’s gaze lowered, and she nodded. “I am aware of that, Father. I have also already expressed to Byleth that I am happy that somebody else has been able to make you as happy as she once did, and that should you both choose to marry, I would be honoured to have her as my step-mother,” she explained, now looking between both him and Byleth. “Nobody can ever replace Mother; this is simply the next steps in our lives in her absence. I am sure that from wherever she is looking down on us, she is happy that you have found somebody to love and cherish.”</p><p>Byleth listened on in silence. She could hear the admiration which the pair both had for Seteth’s late wife, and in a way… she felt honoured that they were willing to let her into their family in spite of that.</p><p>“That is good,” Seteth smiled, his hand now extending out to hold onto Byleth’s. “And Byleth… I want you to know that there is no pressure for you to have to take on the role of a parent if you wish not to.”</p><p>She nodded, and squeezed onto his hand. “Perhaps not right away… But one day, maybe.”</p><p>“As long as I have a little sibling at <em>some point</em>…”</p><p>“F-Flayn!”</p>
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